Along with the rest of the country’s governors, Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland and Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado are expected to be in Washington today for the annual meeting of the National Governors Association. But President Donald Trump has said he won’t be inviting Moore, the country’s only Black governor, or Polis, who’s gay, to Saturday’s dinner event at the White House. Trump has a history of racist and homophobic rhetoric and behavior, but his exclusion of these two governors from an event that’s been open to all governors is a new and dangerous low even for him.
Trump has a history of racist and homophobic rhetoric and behavior, but his exclusion of these two governors is a new and dangerous low even for him.
Trump’s official justification for snubbing Polis is the governor’s refusal to release from prison, Tina Peters, a former Mesa County election clerk convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison for stealing a security guard’s identity, illegally copying election records and allowing unauthorized personnel into vote counting systems. Peters did all that in a ridiculously futile attempt to prove fraud against Trump in the 2020 election.
As for Moore, Trump says he’s snubbing him because the governor is “foul-mouthed” and because he claimed to have a Bronze Star on his 2006 White House Fellow Application, when he hadn’t officially received it yet. (Moore apologized years ago, even though records indicate his commanding officer had assured him he could highlight the star because it had already been approved. That commander eventually pinned Moore with the Bronze Star for “meritorious service” in 2024.)
The absurdity of Trump’s explanations only add to suspicions that his bigotries played a big role in these snubs. After all, we’ve seen those bigotries play a role in just about everything else Trump does. It was just this month that he shared a video depicting former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, as apes.
From his dozens of executive orders removing legal protections for minorities in the workplace to his penchant for blaming everything from bridge collapses to plane crashes on diversity, equity and inclusion, to hiring known white nationalist sympathizers such as Stephen Miller and calling Somalis “garbage,” there is no denying his racism.
And even though Trump didn’t exclude the lesbian governors of Oregon and Massachusetts from Saturday’s scheduled White House event, there’s also no denying his anti-LGBTQ animus. His 2024 campaign attack ad that claimed “Kamala is for They/Them and Donald Trump is for You,” wasn’t a dog whistle; it was an air raid siren that anyone could hear.
GLAAD, the preeminent civil rights organization for the LGBTQ community in America, has declared Trump a threat and has tracked his anti-queer policies, executive orders, statements and hires on its website. There are already 470 entries just over a year into Trump’s second term.
“It’s disappointing that states and the federal government working together to improve our lives has been resisted by this federal administration,” Polis said in a statement last week. “But no matter what events Colorado is or isn’t invited to, Governor Polis will continue to focus on working with his fellow governors and anyone who wants to help make people’s lives better.”
I have been very clear with the people of my state that I will work with anyone, but I will bow down to no one. And I think the president has a problem with that.
Maryland gov. wes moore
In an interview with CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell, Moore said, “I have been very clear with the people of my state that I will work with anyone, but I will bow down to no one. And I think the president has a problem with that.” When asked if he thinks Trump’s actions are racially motivated, Moore said it’s possible “but I can’t speak to the president’s intent.”
The National Governors Association is not usually a time of political tension or conflict. It is a working meeting for governors and a chance for some face time with the president. Trade, environmental and even some national security policies are hashed out during the gathering, and the routine and peaceful meeting of regional powers in America is the envy of many of our global peers. This is not to say that presidents haven’t had conflicts with governors. For example, Ronald Reagan complained about Democratic governors on tax policy in his diary, and George W. Bush fought with Republican and Democratic governors over National Guard funding. However, when Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency cut thousands of jobs specifically from Maryland, it’s not hard to conclude that the administration is trying to damage the chances of a potential 2028 challenger. During Trump’s first term, Trump was fine with Polis’ Colorado serving as the headquarters for his almost comically named “Space Force.” Now, Trump is moving Space Force to Alabama, in part because he’s angry about Colorado’s mail-in voting system. Colorado is filing a lawsuit. All that is to say that presidents and governors clash. But Trump’s economic attacks and attempt to humiliate Moore and Polis is an unprecedented low. Given the policies that have come from this administration — and given the testimony last week of a Trump nominee who openly espoused his white supremacist views to Congress — we should ask ourselves if Trump is testing the waters to see if he can get away with excluding state leaders because of their race or sexuality. Democrats held the line last week and announced they would boycott the White House meeting if Polis and Moore aren’t invited. However, those are last week’s battle lines, and the real test is how they show unity this week. There is already very little room for compromise with a dictator, but if the price of admission to our government could be based on identity, then that means much of America is never going to get an invitation, and Democrats should fight back accordingly.
Jason Johnson
Dr. Jason Johnson is a professor of Politics and Journalism at Morgan State University and an MSNOW contributor and host. He specializes in pop culture and campaign communication, is the author of Political Consultants & Campaigns: One Day to Sell and is a long suffering Seattle Seahawks fan. 
